Village Anchor launches Whisk(e)y Five exploration dinner series Thursday

The team at the Village Anchor Pub & Roost is partnering with spirits and travel writer Susan Reigler to create a dinner and whiskey exploration series dubbed Whisk(e)y Five. The goal is to expand local bourbon lovers’ knowledge of the broad whiskey spectrum by pairing international whiskeys poured neat and served alongside executive chef Henry Wesley’s food.

The first in the series is a Scotch dinner scheduled for Thursday, June 15 at 6 p.m. The meal will showcase three single malts from three different regions of Scotland and two blended whiskys (the Scotts don’t spell whiskey with an “e” like all others elsewhere do).

Reigler will set guests’ baseline with a pour of bourbon to establish a flavor contrast with the Scotches that follow. Reigler has done food and whiskey cocktail pairings, but she expects these straight whiskeys pairing will enlighten the palates of those eager to learn their virtues.

“What I’m hoping to do is help people pay attention to the flavors already in those whiskeys so they can learn how they’re amplified with food,” said Reigler, also the author of multiple books on spirits. “They’ll also see how the whiskey helps the food.”

The cost of the Scotch dinner is $75—a figure that would total less than the actual cost of tasting all those whiskeys at a bar—plus tax and gratuity. Reserve two or more dinners for a cost of $65 each, or really broaden your palate while a lot by reserving your spot for the whole series at a cost of $295—just $59 per dinner. The remaining dinners and their dates are:

by steve coomes

Steve Coomes is a restaurant veteran turned award-winning food, spirits and travel writer. In his 25-year career, he has edited and written for multiple national trade and consumer publications including Nation's Restaurant News and Southern Living. He is a feature writer for Edible Louisville & The Bluegrass, Whisky Magazine, WhiskeyWash.com and The Bourbon Review. The author of two books, "Country Ham: A Southern Tradition of Hogs, Salt & Smoke," and the "Home Distiller's Guide to Spirits," he also serves as a ghostwriter for multiple clients.